A 90-kilometre off-road bike trail through Melbourne's east - from the bayside suburb of Carrum to the hills town of Warburton - will be complete within two years when a 10-kilometre missing link is built at a cost of more than $7 million.

Part of the rambling recreational trail will be built along a strip of green land that has been reserved for 45 years for a future freeway.

The new, 10-kilometre section of shared cycling and walking trail will be built between Bayswater North and Lilydale, partly along a section of the Healesville Freeway reserve, a key part of VicRoads' seminal 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan.

Scheduled to open in mid-2016, the new path will connect two existing bike paths to create an unbroken trail winding almost 90 kilometres. Its construction, at a cost of $7.4 million, will see the Napthine government honour a promise the Coalition made before the 2010 state election.

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Roads Minister Terry Mulder said the trail would connect the bay with country Victoria and spare cyclists from riding on the roads.

''The 10.3-kilometre path will join the existing Tarralla Creek bike path at the western end with the Lilydale-Warburton Trail near Lilydale station at the eastern end,'' Mr Mulder said.

''Not only will the construction of this new shared path provide a safer way for cyclists to travel, it will give locals and visitors the chance to access many of the wonderful sights this region has.''